Pension Application

W.6549 (Widow: Deliverance)
State of Michigan
County of Branch SS.
On this 20th day of July in the year One Thousand Eight Hundred and fifty three personally appeared before the Circuit Court for the County of Branch in said State—Deliverance Wisner a resident of the said County of Branch and State aforesaid aged seventy five years who being first duly sworn doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the Law of the United States passed the third day of February in the year eighteen hundred & fifty three. That she is the widow of David Wisner who was Pensioned under the provisions of the law of the United States passed June the seventh Eighteen Hundred & Thirty two at the rate of ninety four Dollars and forty three cents per annum being placed on the Pension roll of the State of New York on the Fourth day of February in the year eighteen hundred and thirty four. Said Pension Commenced on the fourth day of March in the year Eighteen Hundred and Thirty one and said David Wisner is known on said Roll as a private and Ensign in the New York Militia being as Deponent believes in the Revolutionary War. That Deponent has no knowledge of the time when the said David Wisner entered the service or left the service or knowledge of the names & Rank of the Officers under whom this service was performed, the place where he resided when he entered the service or the time & place of his discharge therefrom. That the said David Wisner was paid said Pension at the City of Albany in the State of New York and that Lyman A. Spalding of the Village of Lockport in said State of New York made papers for obtaining the money on said Wisners Certificate of Pension in the year Eighteen Hundred and thirty seven. That according to a book kept by said Spalding it appears said Wisner then resided in the County of Niagara and State of New York and had then before resided there for twenty seven years and that previous thinks he resided in Seneca County in said State—That the foregoing statements are made according to the best of her information and belief and that she believes them in all respects true: She further declares that she was married to the said David Wisner on the sixth day of February in the year Eighteen Hundred and twenty seven by one Jehiel Wisner a Clergyman of the Baptist Church who is now dead—That her said husband David Wisner died on the eighteenth day of June Eighteen Hundred and forty at the Town of Newfane in the County of Niagara in the State of New York. That she is now a widow and knows of no Public Record of her marriage and has no Certificate of the same except the one in the possession of James H. Baldwin of Lockport in the State of New York. That she was not married to the said David Wisner prior to the second day of January Eighteen hundred, but at the time hereinbefore stated. That she hereby constitutes & appoints James F. Baldwin of Lockport in the State of New York her true and lawful Attorney for her and in her name to do all rightful things which she herself might do in & about obtaining the Pension Certificate which may be due her under the act Dated February 3d 1853 and deems that the same and all other correspondence relative thereto be mailed to her said attorney at Lockport in the State of New York. (Signed with her mark) Deliverance Wisner
Signed in the presence of Louis T. Wilson, C.B. Dowling State of Michigan, County of Branch SS. Sworn to and Subscribed on the day and year above written before me in open court as one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of the State of Michigan and Judge of the Circuit Court for the (record ends here)

State of New York
County of Niagara
On this third day of November in the year eighteen hundred and fifty three personally appeared before me [?] the Justice of the Peace [?] and for the aforesaid County William Wisner who being duly sworn according to law declares that he is the son of David Wisner, mentioned in the foregoing affidavit of Deliverance Wisner hereto attached and that said Deliverance Wisner is a Step Mother of deponent being the Second wife of said David Wisner. That he was well acquainted with Jehiel Wisner whose certificate of the marriage of said David & Deliverance Wisner is hereto annexed. That said Jehiel Wisner was a clergyman of the Baptist Church and authorized to solemnize marriages. That he lived neighbor to said David & Deliverance Wisner and performed the ceremony of marriage at their request as he believes & has heard stated. That he deponent understood that but few persons were present. That he lives in said neighborhood & knows no person who was present at said marriage. That deponent at the time heard of said marriage as it is stated in the said affidavit of Deliverance Wisner and said David & Deliverance Wisner lived as Husband and Wife until the death of said David Wisner. That he knew of said death and attended the funeral of his father the said David Wisner and that he died as & at the time stated in the affidavit of said Deliverance Wisner. That he is well acquainted with the hand writing of said Jehiel Wisner & the aforesaid certificate & the signature of his name thereto is in his genuine hand writing. That since the death of said David Wisner & said Deliverance Wisner has remained and is now a widow. And this affidavit is made to assist in obtaining a pension for her That his said Father received a pension as is stated on the aforesaid affidavit & deponent believes the statements therein contained in all respects true. That said Deliverance Wisner resides in the State of Michigan for which pension affidavits are procured from the neighborhood of the services of said David Wisner as the facts have been stated and that he knows that deponent is not an interested witness in this or employed in promoting the same. That he is a resident of Newfane in the County of Niagara and has resided there for the term of about forty three years & that his said father removed from Seneca county in the State of New York about one year thereafter from which time he resided in the same neighborhood in said town until his death. (Signed) Wm. Wisner.

State of New York
Niagara County SS.
            On this 4 day of September personally appeared in open court before the Court of General Sessions For the County, now sitting David Wisner, a resident of the town of New Fane in the County of Niagara, and State aforesaid, aged seventy four years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of an act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
            That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein after stated.
            He in the first instance entered the war as a volunteer, in a volunteer company raised the County of Orange commanded by one John Wisner as Captain (1), George Lucky, First Lieutenant, John Sutten Second Lieutenant and David Armstrong Ensign, the said company was not attached to any regiment but was one of the companys used for the purpose of guarding Fort Constitution and protecting the line of the North river in the County of Orange. He enlisted about the first of December the day he cannot now specify, in the year 1775 for the term of four months, this was in the town of Warwick in the said County of Orange, where he then resided. Immediately after his enlistment he went with his company to New Winsor on the North River where he remained for some days, then he moved with the said Company to Fort Constitution in the said County of Orange where he remained until he was discharged, of which discharge he has no evidence neither has he any documents whatever to show this service, he was not at the enlistment engaged in any battle nor was there any of the Continental Troops engaged in the same service nor did he become acquainted with any of the regular officers at this time—
            And the said David Wisner further declares that he again entered the service of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein after stated.—
            He enlisted as a volunteer in a company commanded by John Jackson (2) as Captain, Nathaniel Ketchum (3) first Lieutenant and George Vance As Second Lieutenant, there was no ensign attached to the company. The company was attached to Colonel Drack [Drake] (4) Regiment of New York State Militia, he does not now recollect the Christian name of the said Drack, the Regiment belonged to General Scotts Brigade.(5) The Lieutenant Colonel of the Regiment was one Hubbard whose first name he has now also forgotten. Moses Hatfield was Major of the said regiment. At the time of his enlistment which was on or about the twentieth day of June in the year 1776 he resided in the town of Warwick in the County of Orange aforesaid. Immediately after his enlistment which was for five months & ten days, he went with his company to New Winsor on the North River from there he together with the company proceeded down the River to the City of New York where he joined the Regiment to which their company was attached. From the City of New York he went with the whole Brigade under the Command of General Scott to Flat Bush on Long Island. Then they joined the Continental forces commanded by General Washington—The next day after his arrival the British forces attacked the Americans and drove them into their lines. Soon after the American forces retreated to New York, where they remained but a few days. from the City of New York he went with the American forces to Kingsbridge where he remained but a few days and from there he went to White Plains. At White Plains (6) the American forces was again attacked by the British in that engagements he the said Wisner was engaged—From White Plains he went to Kings ferry. From there to Peekskill from there back again to Kings Ferry, where he remained until the first day of December, when he was discharged. Of his discharge he has no evidence neither has he any documents whatever to show this service.—
            During this enlistment he became acquainted with many of the Officers of the Regular Army among others with General Washington, Putman and Sterling.
            He again enlisted as a volunteer in a company commanded by John Minthorn as Captain, Nathaniel Ketchum first Lieutenant and George Vance as second Lieutenant(7)—The company was attached to Colonel John Hathorn’s Regiment of New York State Militia. At the time of this enlistment which was for one month, he resided in the Town, County and state aforesaid. He enlisted about the last of May in the year 1777. Immediately after his enlistment, he went with his company to Fort Montgomery on the North River where he remained about three weeks, from there he went down the River to Haverstraw there he remained until he was discharged which was about the last of June.—
            And the said David Wisner further declares that he again entered the service of the United States, and under the following named officers and served as herein after stated.
            He volunteered in a company commanded by David McCambly as Captain, Benjamin Cooley first Lieutenant, Thomas Blane second Lieutenant for one month or about the first of April in the year 1778.(8) At this time he was an Ensign in the said company having received a commission as such in February proceeding which commission he now has. He at that time resided in the town, county & state aforesaid. Immediately after the company went to West Point where he & the company remained about a month when they were discharged of which discharge he has no evidence nor has he any documentary evidence of the service.
            The said David Wisner further declares that he again volunteered in the year 1779 about the first of June of that year in the same company as last mentioned under the command of the same officers for the term of two months. At this time he resided at the same place as before. Immediately after he volunteered their company was ordered to West Point where he remained about two months and was again discharged of this discharge or service he has no documentary evidence.
            And the said David Wisner further declares that he again volunteered in the same company of which he still continued ensign about the first of October in the year 1779. The company was still commanded by the same Captain, but the First Lieutenant was Samuel Webb (9) and the Second Lieutenant was one Viel whose Christian name he does not now recollect. At the time of this enlistment which was for the term of four months he resided in the town, county & state aforesaid. Immediately after this enlistment he went to Fishkill where he remained until he was discharged which was at the expiration of two months after the enlistment by order of General Washington who came to Fish Kill where he remained until he was discharged which was at the expiration of two months after the enlistment by order of General Washington who came to Fishkill and thought it not nice pay for the company to stay there longer.
            At Fishkill then were none of the Continental forces and he did not become acquainted with any of the officers of the Regular Army at that time. Of this discharge or service he has no documentary evidence.
            And the said David Wisner further declares that he again volunteered in the same company commanded by the same officers as last mentioned about the last of May 1780 to serve for the term of one month, at that time he resided in the same town, county and state aforesaid. Immediately after he volunteered he was ordered by Colonel Hathorn to take a detachment of fourteen men & go to Fort Decker on the Delaware River in the town of Manasink he went there and remained there one month when he was again discharged of the discharge or service he had no documentary evidence.
            Her hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. (Signed) David Wisner
            Sworn to Subscribed the day & year aforesaid. Henry Catlin Clerk of the Court of General Sessions of the Peace County of Niagara in open court.
            Reply to a letter of inquiry dated May 29, 1936.
            The data which follow were obtained from papers on file in pension claim, W.6549, based upon the service of David Wisner, during the War of the Revolution.
            David Wisner was born December 4, 1758 in Warwick, Orange County, New York. The names of he parents were not stated.
            While residing in Warwick, New York, he served with the New York troops as follows:
            From sometime in December 1775, four months as private in Captain John Wisner’s company, guarding at Fort Constitution and along the North River; from June 20, 1776, five months and ten days as private in Captain John Jackson’s company, under Colonel Dirck or Drake, and was in the battle of White Plains; from sometime in May 1777, one month as private in Captain John Minthorn’s company, Colonel John Hathorn’s regiment; he was commissioned, February 2, 1778, ensign in Captain David McCambly’s company, Colonel John Hathorn’s regiment, and served in 1778, one month, from June 1, 1779 two months, from October 1, 1779, two months, and in the spring of 1780 one month.
            David Wisner after the revolution resided in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, five years, in Seneca County, New York, twenty-three years, and then moved to Newfane, Niagara County, New York. He was allowed pension on his application executed, September 4, 1832, then living in Newfane, New York.
            The soldier, David Wisner, died June 18, 1840 in Newfane, New York.
            David Wisner married February 6, 1827 in Newfane, New York, Deliverance Dowling, his second wife, name of his first wife not given. They were married by Jehiel Wisner, a clergyman of the Baptist Church.
            She was allowed pension on her application executed July 20, 1853, at which time she was aged seventy-five years and living in Branch County, Michigan. She was living in 1855 in St. Joseph County, Michigan.
            William Wisner, son of the soldier, by his first wife, was a resident of Newfane, New York in 1853. This is the only reference to children by the first wife, and it is not stated that there were any children by the second wife.
            Jehiel Wisner, brother of the soldier, was seventy-one years of age in 1833, then living in Newfane, New York and a “clergyman”, and another brother Samuel Wisner, was aged in 1833 “seventy years and upwards”, then living in Springport, New York. It is not stated that the Captain John Wisner under whom the soldier served was a relative of the family.
            In 1835, William Dowling was living in New fane, New York, in 1854 Clark R. Dowling was a resident of Gilead, Branch County, Michigan, and in 1855 Hiram Dowling was living in St. Joseph County, Michigan. Their relationship to the widow, Deliverance Wisner, is not shown.

Captain John Wisner’s Company in Colonel Isaac Nicholl’s Regiment of Orange County Minute Men.
Captain John Jackson’s company in Colonel William Allison’s’ Regiment of Orange County Militia (Third Regiment). The other company officers were First Lieutenant John McDawel, Second Lieutenant Benjamin Halstead and Ensign Jabez Knap.
Nathaniel Ketchum and George Vance were in Colonel John Hathorn’s Regiment of Orange County Militia (Fourth Regiment).
Colonel Samuel Drake of the Third Regiment of Westchester County Militia.
Brigadier John Morin Scott.
The Battle of White Plains, NY was on October 28, 1776.
Besides the officers mentioned the Ensign was John Benedict.
They were commissioned on February 19, 1778 all in Colonel Hathorn’s Regiment.
Samuel Webb was a Second Lieutenant in Captain Samuel Jones’ Company in Colonel William Allison’s Regiment. Peter Gale was the First Lieutenant in the same company. There was a Daniel Veal that served as an Ensign in Colonel Hathorn’s Regiment but he was not commissioned until March 4, 1780 in Captain Richard Bailey’s Company.

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